Facts and Figures

Ill/Aged

The fastest growing segment of the population over 60 is also over 80. U.S. Census

Between 2000 and 2010, the 45 to 64 year old population grew 31.5% to 81.5 million, and now makes up 26.4% of the total U.S. population. U.S. Census

Each year more than 3.5 million Baby Boomers turn 55. U.S. Census

One in five people are expected to be 65 or older by 2035. U.N. Population Division

In the year 2050, the U.S. population age 65 and older will grow close to 148% from current levels. AARP.

As the population expands and lives longer, incidence of serious illness rises. World Health Organization

More than 1.6 million Americans will have a new cancer diagnosis in 2012. American Cancer Society

More than 5.4 million people are living with Alzheimer’s Disease in the U.S. (and the diagnosis comes with 14.9 million caregivers). Alzheimer’s Association

On a smaller scale, one million people are hospitalized each year with congestive heart failure; 547,000 Americans are suffering from end-stage renal disease; and as many as 30,000 people in the U.S. have ALS. AARP

Caregivers

Half of 44-55 year olds have both one living parent and a child under 21, potentially doubling their responsibilities. AARP

More than 65 million people, or 29% of the U.S. population, provide care for a chronically ill, disabled or aged family member or friend during any given year and spend an average of 20 hours per week providing care. AARP

36% of family caregivers are caring for a parent, and seven out of ten caregivers are caring for loved ones over 50. AARP.

The value of services family caregivers provide for free when caring for older adults is estimated to be $375 billion a year. (Almost twice as much as is actually spent on home care and nursing home services combined.) National Alliance for Caregiving and Evercare.

Between 59 and 75 percent of caregivers for the sick and elderly are women. American Association of Geriatric Psychiatry.

The typical family caregiver is a 49 year old woman caring for her widowed 69 year old mother who does not live with her. She is married and employed. AARP.

Approximately 72 percent of caregiving population is white. Six in ten were employed at some point in last 12 months while caring for their relative or friend. AARP.

Those who care for a loved one who lives nearby spend an average of $4,570 annually on caregiving costs; long-distance caregivers spend $8,728. AARP.

The average duration of a caregiver’s role is 4.6 years. AARP.

Medical providers

In a study published January, 2010 in the journal Cancer, 4,188 physicians were asked how they would talk to a hypothetical cancer patient with four to six months to live.

A majority of respondents (65%) would discuss prognosis, but only a minority said they would discuss do-not-resuscitate status (44%), hospice (26%) or preferred site of death (21%) at that time.

Current guidelines, from the National Comprehensive Cancer Network, say the conversations should be initiated whenever a patient has been given less than a year to live, if not at diagnosis.

In a 2009 study led by researchers at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, 603 patients with advanced cancer (with about six months to live) were asked whether their doctors had discussed their wishes for end of life care.

The majority (69%) said those conversations had not taken place.

In the last week of life, those patients who had talked with their doctors ended up with medical bills on average 36% lower than those patients who did not have end of life conversations.

In a 2012 survey commissioned by the California HealthCare Foundation, 8 and 10 of those 1,669 surveyed said if seriously ill, they would want to speak with their doctor about end of life care.

Fewer than 1 in 10 report having had a conversation, including just 13% of those age 65 and older.